Crossing gate



Feb. 27, 1934. E DANEL 1,948,512

CROSSING GATE Filed Jan. 30, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zinnentor z BB I(Ittornegs E. DANIEL 1,948,512

CROSSING GATE 30, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.

Feb. 27, 1934.

I Cittornegs.

Z 3nventor E. DANiEL CROSSING GATE Feb. 27, 1934.

Filed Jan. 30, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lhmentor Gttornegs E. DANIEL CROSSING GATE Feb. 27, 1934.

Filed Jan. 30, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 ZQZ lhwentor Jaer eiifi PatentedFeb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROSSING GATE Everett Daniel,Moultrie, Ga.

Application January 30, 1933. Serial No. 654,328

4 Claims. ,(Cl. 246-293) The device forming the subject matter of thisapplication is of the general sort shown in my prior Patent No.1,825,780, granted on the 6th day of October, 1931. Its general objectis to provide a novel means whereby a gate will be closed at a railroadcrossing, whilst a train is at some distance from the crossing, and beopened as the train clears the crossing.

The movement of the gate is controlled by a slide, moving parallel tothe track, and by a shaft journaled for rotation about an axis at rightangles to the track. Specifically, the present invention aims to improvethe mechanism which is interposed between the slide and the shaft. Y

The aforesaid shaft actuates and controls a spring mechanism interposedbetween the shaft and the gate. Another object of the invention is toimprove the mechanism that lies between the shaft and the gate.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in top plan, a device constructed in accordance with theinvention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section wherein parts are broken away, manyparts being in elevation;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism which is immediately connectedwith the gate, parts being in section;

Fig. 4 is an elevation at right angles to the showing of Fig. 3, andillustrating the parts which are closely associated with the gate;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the mechanism which connects the slide rodsoperatively with the shaft that transmits movement to the gate, theparts being in the positions which they will assume when the gate isopened;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the structure shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but with some parts omitted, themechanism being in the position which it will assume after the gate hasbeen opened; I

Fig. 10. is a. sectional view of the structure shownin Fig. 9.

The crossing gate forming the subject matter of this application is animprovement on the crossing gate shown in my prior Patent No. 1,825,780,granted on October 6, 1931. Wherever there is any readily discerniblesimilarity, in function or in structure, parts in the present devicewill be designated by numerals used to indicate those parts in thepatent mentioned.

In the drawings, there is shown a railroad track, comprising a rail 1and a rail 2, supported on ties 3, 4 and 5, the ties 4 and 5 beingsomewhat longer than the rest of the ties. The numeral 6 designates ahighway that crosses the railroad track. Ramps 7 and 8 are disposedoutside of the rail 1, on opposite sides of the highway 6, at a properdistance therefrom, and closely adjacent to the rail 1. The ramps 7 and8 are mounted at 9 in such a way that they can swing both vertically andhorizontally. The ramps 7 and 8 are raised by springs 10. The ends ofthe springs 10 are extended, as shown in Figs. 3 and l, and areconnected, respectively, to the ramps 7 and 8 and to the rail 2, or toany other suitable anchoring object. The ramps 7 and 8, therefore, areswung against the rail 1 by the arms 11 of the springs 10. The innerends of the ramps 7 and 8 are provided with outwardly slanting portions12 that extend upwardly above the ball of the rail 1, as shown in Fig.3.

When the ramps 7 and 8 are depressed, they cooperate with cranks 14 onthe inner ends of shafts 15, mounted to rock on certain of the ties 3and extended outwardly beyond the rail 1. The shafts 15 have cranks 16at their outer ends. A flexible connection 60 is joined to the crank 16ct one shaft 15, and a flexible connection 61 is joined to the crank 16of the other shaft 15, as Fig. 1 will show. The inner end of theconnection 60 is joined resiliently to a slide bar 17, and the inner endof the connection 61 is joined resiliently to a slide bar 19. The slidebars 17 and 19 have right line reciprocation in guides 21, mounted on abase plate 62, the base plate 62 being secured to the long ties 4 and 5.

A'shaft 23 is journaled for rotation in bearings 24 on the base plate62. The mechanism for operating the shaft 23 from the slide bars 17 and19, is one of the features which distinguish the present device from theone shown in my Patent 1,825,780.

The mechanism which establishes a cooperating relation between the slidebars 17 and 19, on the one hand, and the shaft 23, on the other hand, isdetailed in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10. Arms 63 and 64 are adjustably securedat 65 to the shaft The arms 63 and 64 extend downwardly, and areguidedin slots 66 in the base plate 62.

Figures? and 9 show that an operating member 67, in the form of a thrustrod, is slidably carried on the base plate 62. The operating member 67has an elongated opening 68, extended through one end of the operatingmember, and receiving the arm 63. At one end of the opening 68, there isa shoulder 69 which is adapted to engage the arm 63. The operatingmember 67 is pivoted at '70 to a lever 71 of the first order, the leverbeing fulcrumed at '72 upon the base plate 62. The outer end of thelever 71 lies in the path of a projection 73 on the slide rod 17, thesaid projection preferably being a roller, journaled on the slide rod.The slide rod 17 is provided (Fig. 10), underneath the roller 73, with afoot 74, which slides on the base plate 62 and aids in supporting theslide rod.

Figure 9 shows that a foot '75, functioning like the foot 74, is securedto the slide rod 19, the foot 74 having an extension 76, arrangedparallel to the slide rod 19. In the extension '76 there is an elongatedslot '77 which receives the arm 64 on the shaft 23. The slot '77preferably is located entirely within the extension 76, and at one endof the slot there is a shoulder 78, adapted to engage the arm 64 on theshaft 23, as shown in Fig. '7.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10, in conjunction with Fig. 1, it willbe noted that shafts 42 and 42a extend transversely of the track rails 1and 2, these shafts being journaled (Fig. 2) between the ties 5 and 4,and being journaled (Figs. 8 and 10) on the base plate 62. It appears inFigs. 1 and 2 that on the outer end of the shaft 42 there is a curvedarm 45, located outwardly of the rail 2. The shaft 42a has a similar arm45a, the arms 45 and 45a being crossed with respect to each other, asdisclosed in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 10, the drawings show that an upwardly extendedlatch '79 is secured to the shaft 42. A similar upwardly extended latchis secured to the shaft 42a. These latches 79 and 80 work through holes81 in the base plate 62. The latches '79 and 80 tend to swing upward-1y, because their outer ends are weighted, as shown at 82. Referring toFig. 8, if the slide rod 17 is advanced, the latch 79 rests against theunder-edge of the slide red: but when the latch rod 17 is retracted, asin Fig. 10, then the latch '79 swings upwardly, responsive to thecorresponding weight 82, and engages the slide rod 17, to hold itagainst movement toward the left in Fig. 10. The latch 88 cooperates inthe same way with the slide rod 19.

A post 28 (Fig. 3) is connected by brace frames 83 with a foundation 84(Fig. 1). The shaft 23 is journaled on the brace frames 83. The numeral47 marks a gate. The gate 47 is pivoted at 48 to the post 28 to swingvertically. The gate carries a cross piece 85. There is anarm 25 on theshaft 23, the arm working through a hole 86 in the post 28. A secondimprovement in the article shown in my Patent 1,825,780 lies in themechanism which is interposed operatively between the arm 25 of theshaft 23 and the cross piece on the gate 47.

A guide 26, in the form of a cylinder, is'secured lo the post 28 bybrackets 27. A slide is'provided, and includes a rod 29 mounted toreciprocate in the upper end of the cylinder 26. The rod 29 is threadedfor adjustment into a support 31, and is held in adjusted positions by alock nut 87. The rod 29 carries a head 30 mounted-to reciprocate in thecylinder 26. A link 32 extends upwardly into the cylinder 26, the linkbeing pivoted to the lowerend of the rod-29 and at 91 to the crank 25 ofthe shaft 23. A strong compression spring 33 is disposed inthe-cylinder-26. The lower end of the spring 33 engages an abutment 88,carried by the cylinder 26, and the upper end of the compression springengages the head 30 of the rod 29.

The part 31 is called a support, because the cross pin 85 of the gate4'7 rests upon it, the gate being supported by the part 31, during theoperation of the gate. A guide rod 89 is disposed parallel to the sliderod 29. The upper end of the guide rod 89 is threaded for adjustmentinto the support 31, and is held in adjusted positions by a lock nut 90.The guide rod 89 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the brackets2'7 that connect the cylinder 26 with the posts 28. Because the guiderod 89 is provided, the slide rod 29 has no tendency to turn on itsaxis. This is desirable for several reasons, one of which is that thesupport 31 ought at all times to be positioned properly with respect tothe cross piece 85 on the gate 47. Another reason is that, if the rod 29and the link 32 cannot turn on their axes, the lower end of the link 32is so connected with the pivot element 91 which joins the link 32 to thearm 25 that there is no binding there, friction being reducedaccordingly.

If a train is going in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1, treads ofthe wheels of the train will run over the part 12 of the ramp '7 and.depress the ramp, compressing the spring 10, rotation being imparted tothe corresponding shaft 15 by way'of the crank 14, the crank 16 and theconnection 60 operating the rod 1'7. As the rod 1'7 is carried to theright, from the position of Fig.8 to the position of Fig. 10, the rod iswithdrawn from above the latch '79, and the latch, responding to itsweight 82, rises and engages the end of the rod 1'7, so that the saidrod cannot move to the left.

As the rod 17 moves to the right, from the position of Fig. 8 to theposition of Fig. 10, the roller projection 73 on the rod engages theouter end of the lever '71 (Fig. 9), and tilts the lever on its "fulcrum72, the lever carrying the operating member 67 tothe left,the shoulder69 on the operating member cooperating with'the arm 63 on the shaft 23,'to rock the shaft. 'When the shaft 23 is rocked, the'arm 25 (Fig. 5) onthe shaft swings 82, the shaft 42 is rocked, and the arm 45 (Fig. 2)

on the shaft 42 is raised enough with respect to I the rail 2-so thatthe arm can be engaged by a wheel of the train. When the arm 45 is thusengaged by a wheel of the train, the shaft 42 is rocked reversely, andthe'latch 79 is carried down from the position of-Fig. 10, enterengagement with the end of the rod 17, and the rod 1'7 moves tothe-left, and assumes a position above the latch 17, as in Fig. 8. Themechanism [that carries the rod 17 from the position of Fig. 10 to 25'on the shaft 23, theshaft 23,- the arm- 63: on

the shaft 23, the operating member 67 of-Fig39,

the lever '71, and the roller projection 73 on the rod 17. As soon asthe latch 79 (Fig. 10) is released from the end of the rod 17, the wholetrain of parts, beginning with the rod 17 of Figs. 10 and 9, and endingwith the support 31 of Fig. 5, is set free, and the spring 33 shoves upthe rod 29 and the support 31, the support 31 cooperating with the crosspiece 85 on the gate 47 to raise and open the gate.

The train, proceeding in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1,encounters the part 12 of the ramp 8, but there is no closing of thegate 4'7. This is so because the necessary depression of the ramp 8 doesnot occur. The side of the car wheel simply engages the divergent end ofthe part 12 of the ramp 8 and swings the ramp 8 outwardly but notdownwardly, on the pivotal mounting 9, in the direction of the arrow Bof Fig. 1. The spring means 11 restores the ramp 8 to the position ofFig. 1, as soon as the tread of the car Wheel is clear of the part 12 ofthe ramp 8.

It is not necessary to trace out the operation when the train runscounter to the arrow A in Fig. 1, since it is a substantial duplicate ofthe operation hereinbefore set forth, the ramp 8, the slide 19, theoperating member 76 of Fig. 7, the arm 64 on the shaft 23, the latch ofFig. 8, the shaft 42a, and the arm 45a. of Fig. 2 being the parts theninvolved. The only step characterizing any essential difference is thatwhen the ramp 8 does the work, there is a direct operative relationbetween the rod 19 and the arm 64 on the shaft 23, by way of member 76of Fig. '7; whereas when the ramp 7 does the work, there is nocorrespondingly direct relation between the rod 17, the operating member67, and the arm 63 on the shaft 23, the lever 7 being interposed betweenthe rod 17 and the member 67. The reason for having the lever 71 isthat, although the rods 17 and 19 move in opposite directions to openthe gate 4'7, the shaft 23 always has to turn in the same direction, toopen the gate.

Among other combinations of parts, the device shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification comprises a track 12, a gravity-closinggate 47, a first slide 29 mounted for reciprocation and engaging thegate 47, a shaft 23 mounted for rocking movement and operativelyconnected at 25 with the first slide 29, an arm 63 on the shaft 23, asecond slide 17 mounted at 21 for reciprocation, mechanism 7167 foroperatively connecting the second slide 17 with the arm 63, spring means33 for actuating the first slide 29 to raise and open the gate 47, andto advance the second slide 17 to the position of Fig. 8, car-operatedmeans 760 for retracting the second slide 17, thereby to retract thefirst slide 29, compress the spring means 33, and permit the gate 47 toclose, a pivotally mounted gravity latch '79 held in inoperativeposition by the second slide 17. as shown in Fig. 8, when the secondslide 17 is advanced, the latch '79 engaging the second slide 17, asshown in Fig. 10, when the second slide is retracted, to hold the secondslide 17 against advancement to the position of Fig. 8, andtrainoperated means 42-45 for releasing the latch 79 from the secondslide 1'7, thereby releasing the spring means 33, to bring about anopening of the gate 47, and to advance the second slide 17. The secondslide above referred to, of course, may be either the slide 17 or theslide 19, and the mechanism mentioned may be either the lever 79 and themember 67, or the member 76.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a track and a gravityclosing crossing gate, of afirst slide mounted for reciprocation and engaging the gate, a shaftmounted for rocking movement and operatively connected with the firstslide, an arm on the shaft, a second slide mounted for reciprocation,mechanism for operatively connecting the second slide with the arm,spring means for actuating the first slide to raise and open the gate,and to advance the second slide, car-operated means for retracting thesecond slide, thereby to retract the first slide, compress the springmeans, and permit the gate to close, a pivotally mounted gravity latchheld in inoperative position by engagement with the second slide whenthe second slide is advanced, the latch engaging the second slide, whenthe second slide is retracted, to hold the second slide againstadvancement, and train-operated means for releasing the latch from thesecond slide, thereby releasing the spring means, to bring about anopening of the gate, and to advance the second slide.

2. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 1,and further characterized by the fact that said mechanism comprises aslidably mounted operating member engaged with the arm, a leverfulcrumed intermediate its ends and pivotally connected at one end withthe operating member, and mechanism for operatively connecting theopposite end of the lever with the second slide.

3. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 1,and further characterized by the fact that said mechanism comprises amember on the slide, and having an opening receiving the arm on theshaft.

4. In combination with a track, cooperating parts comprising a post, aguide, and a connection between the post and the guide; a crossing gatemounted to swing vertically on the post, a slide of inverted U-shape,the slide comprising inner and outer arms and a support connecting theupper ends of the arms, the support being engaged with the gate, theinner arm being slidably mounted in the guide, and the outer arm beingexternal to the guide and being slidably carried upon one of saidcooperating parts, to prevent the inner arm from turning on its axis, acompression spring carried by the guide, means on the inner arm forengaging the spring to bring about a compression of the spring,car-operated means for depressing the slide and compressing the spring,thereby permitting the gate to close, automatically-acting latch meansholding the spring compressed and the slide depressed, and car-operatedmeans for releasing the latch means.

EVERETT DANIEL.

